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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. face — to confront
  4. mine — for digging
  5. land — to come down
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. face — to point toward
  10. land — a country
  11. last — final
  12. land — ground
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. craft — a skill
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com